Antonio Morales gently scrapes a small plane over a sheet of Canadian cedar. Shavings form, curling like thin golden locks. “The wood dates back to the 1960s. My mentor, George Bowden, brought it to Mallorca,” Morales begins his story. “When Bowden passed away, he left me all his tools, materials, and machines,” says the craftsman, who was born in Extremadura region. The decades-old dried wood is especially well-suited for guitar making.

"I always say: The best guitar is yet to come."

With an almost reverent gesture, he sweeps his hand through the air of his workshop, presenting his domain. “It was only through him that I discovered the world of proportions and vibrations. Without him, I would never have become a guitar maker.”

The excellence of Morales’ craftsmanship is evident in the fact that he was the one who made the last guitars for the famous flamenco musician Paco de Lucía (1947–2014). “That was on another level. My craft reached new heights because of it,” Morales recalls.